Indoor gym wall rating vs. the real world.

I feel it's absolutely different. Your fingers/feet can always fudge with the rock in the real world. On a tape marked 'route' in a gym, you are limited to the specific hold and must eliminate all the logical solutions nearby. Personally I hate gym 'routes'. I'm there to work out, climb anything in anyway. Pretty much why I'm not into comps at all. Meaningless to me to limit my climbing to a boulder 'problem' in a gym since it is all synthetic, imaginary rock climbing. I think gym ratings are pretty tough, and you most likely can do better when you get outside. Sorta like comparing trad leads to sport leads. Or for those familiar with the sandbagged ratings at Devils Lake, Wisc., you can do 5.12 in the real world if you are solid 5.10 toprope climber at DL.

I personally think that the outside real world climbing is much more difficult than any gym(in my opinion). A gym is synthetic and can also be compromised with holds just as you can outside. The holds seem much more positive and dynamic climbing can be achieved easier than outside. There are many more elements added to the equation of climbing and trying to achieve a summit outside. Holds are bomber in the gym and are very obvious. Outside you don't know what lies above a crux or a roof, and whether or not it is a sloper or if the flake or jug is just going to pull out on you. You don't have to worry about going for a dyno and getting the tips of your fingers ripped off and the good old drippy red stuff comes pouring out. Not many gyms have good old crack climbing and off-width's either(which is real world). I don't think that you can really compare the two. There are similarities like using your mind, body, rope, belay device, etc, but they are almost like night and day. Like woodchuck says, you can't compare trad to sport. They are just different. I don't use the gym anymore because I live 10 minutes from Castlewood Canyon, CO and love to go get on some real rock. It's not that I don't like indoor gyms, I just love the outdoors! I started out climbing in the gym and was putting up 5.11's and V8 boulder problems. Outside on some 5.11's & 5.12's I can't finish the route on my first try or without hang-doggin it. It takes me a couple times, and I still haven't done above a V6 outside. Maybe I am not giving it my all, but it seems a whole lot harder too me. Plus in indoor gyms, everything is already there and ready for you. You don't have to worry about building a belay station 200 feet off the ground and trying to fix anchors if the belays not bolted. I think that if you are climbing 5.12's in the gym, then you should try a 5.10 or 5.11 outside before jumping on some really difficult routes with no holds and almost a flat face with a 1 finger pocket and little crimpers. I know indoor has it's difficult routes and is still no cake walk, but I personally feel that the outdoors is much harder and is the real deal!!! Climb on!!!!

Overall, I see what you mean. Nothing beats the real dea. The rock can be tricky, whereas the gym is straight forward in it's set up. You know what to expect, as most gyms are route-visible since they don't exceed 40 ft. for the most part. No weather to worry about. The exposure of course is there to thrill you outside. I just felt that gym routes of higher ratings(5.11-12, etc.) are made to be pretty dam tough moves on either overly sharp plastic or worn down and greasy slopers. Real rock always recovers and feels untouched for the most part. I'd take outdoors anyday if I had the choice. Don't go to gyms much anymore, just use my own outdoor practice wall.

Gyms are pretty funny. a lot can be sandbagged but others are soft. same goes for outdoors I suppose. You really can't compare the two as they're prety different. sort of liek comparing a Gunks 5.7 to a Shelf 5.7 to a Yose 5.7. Like I do with all areas I visit, I try somethign pretty easy for me and then base harder climbs on it.

Exactly. I feel humbled at some places and climb like a rockgod at others under the same ratings.

The bouldering gym I go to, Climb Time of Blue Ash (Cincinnati, Ohio), no ratings are given to the routes. I think this is good because you end up trying stuff without being biased by a number.
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Okay, joining the conversation way late, but the Quarry in Provo, Utah has pretty darn near parity on its rated climbs with the ones nearby. I guess the fact that there is so much good rock nearby gives the owners a chance to do pretty regular comparisons.

i agree with revert510. the quarry is not to far away from where i live and it seems to me that whatever the routs are rated there is pretty close as it is on the crag. the only difference with indoor and crag is that with indoor you know that if a hold is rated and marked with the tape then it is usually a good hold, when you are on the crag you may slip sometimes because of loose rock or what ever is there.